Carton



June 15, 1948, "R. A. LAMBERf 2,443,428

' cm'ron Filed ma 3, 1945 If If MM;

Patented June 15, 1948 2.44am caa'rou Russell A. Lambert, Springfield.Mala, alllgnor to Brooks Bank Note Mara, a corporation of ApplicationMay 3, 1945. Serial No. 581,695

3 Claims. (Cl. 229-49) This invention relates to improvements in cartonsand is directed more particularly to foldable cartons and flap lockingmeans therefor.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision ofa carton and locking means for the closing flaps thereof.

Locking means for the flaps of prior art cartons are usually incapableof securely holding thefiaps in overlapping closing relation againstpressure or weight applied against the flaps and said locking means arerelatively dimcult to manipulate and consume time in closing the carton.

According to this invention, locking means is provided which is easilymanipulated. rapid in operation and of such a nature as to providesecure locking of the flaps so that they may withstand great pressuresand weights.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages andother objects of my invention as will become more apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereuntoannexed and more fully'described and referred to in connection with theaccompanying drawings:

Figs. 1. 2. 3 and 4 are perspective views of a carton showing theclosing flaps and locking means in various relative positions; I

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the inner flaps of the construction inoverlapping relation;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevational view on the line 8-4 of Fig. 7 andthrough the flaps in overlapping locked relation; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the outer flaps in overlapping lockedrelation.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the invention will be morefully described.

The novel features of the invention are adapted for use in connectionwith cartons of various forms but in the form being described front,rear, and side walls 2, 4 and 6 are shown in set up relation. Side orinner flaps I are hinged at II to opposite side walls t. These flapshave extensions ii. on their free edges as shown with saidextensionsarranged in staggered relation.

Said flaps I are relatively swingable inwardly so that their ends maypass one another and when released the flaps swing upwardly so that theextension i2 of one flap underlies the other flap. In this way. theflaps are held in locked superposed relation against upward swingingmovements, as shown in plan in Fig. 5. Swing- Company, Springfield.Massachusetts ing of the flaps inwardly as described is the firstoperation in closing the opening of the carton.

A rear or outer flap i4 is hinged to the rear wall I for swingingmovements and is cut at It to form a tab it swingable at relative to anopening. Said tab it has a retaining lip 22 on its free edge. The flapI4 is adapted to be positioned over the superposed inner flaps I and thetab it is swingable inwardly and downwardly relative thereof. I

Another or front flap It is hinged at If to the front wall 1 and it hasa tuck 32 hinged thereto at Ill for swinging movements. The tuck 32 isinsertable through the opening from which the tab it is formed and itmay be scored at It to facilitate the comers of the tab being swingable.

In closing the carton. the side or inner flaps 8 are swung inwardly anddownwardly as described and released to assume the locked position shownin Fig. 5.

Then the flap i4 is swung inwardly and over onto the flaps l. andfinally the flap is swung inwardly onto the flap ll. Simultaneously thetuck 32 is bent downwardly to press on the tab IO and extend through theopening forming said tab, and is then brought up'under the marginal edgeof flap ll. That is. the truck 32 is doubled up under the marginal edgeof the flap so as to lock said flaps l4 and 30 in superposed relationover the interlocked flaps I.

As the'tuck 32 is passed through the opening for tab it said tab is'moved downwardly and when the tuck is released said tab it moves upwardly so that its lip 22 underlies the tuck 12 thus acting as aretainer to hold said tuck in doubled-under relation, as shown in Fig.6.

The side flaps 8 being interlocked as they are and the flaps I4 andbeing locked with the tab II and lip 22 holding them in locked relationthe carton is securely closed and the flaps are not likely to beaccidentally displaced or unlocked. 4

The features of the invention are adapted for broad application and maybe used for closing the bottom end or top of a carton or container andserve adequately to resist opening against slits extending purview andrange of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to beembraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A carton comprising in combination, opposite and adjacent front andrear and end walls. a pair of inner flaps hinged to the up er edges ofsaid end walls for swinging inwardly into overlapping relation, a frontflapv and a rear flap hinged to the upper edges of said front and rearwalls respectively for swinging inwardly into overlapping relation onsaid inner flaps and having outer free edges, said rear flaps providedwith a longitudinal slit disposed inwardly from and parallel to its freeedge terminating inwardly from opposite edges thereof and with othertransverse slits extending from opposite ends of said slit towards theupper .edge of said rear wall and disposed in a diverging relationforming an opening and a tab having converging ends and hinged to saidrear flap at an edge of the opening and adjacent and parallel to theupper edge of said rear wall, and a tuck extending from the free edge ofsaid. front flap having outwardly diverging opposite ends and beingsubstantially the same size and shape as the tab of said rear flapwhereby as said front flap overlies the rear fiap said tuck overlies thetab thereof. said tuck being hinged to the free edge'of said front flapwhereby with said front flap superposed on said rear flap said tuck mayswing downwardly to swing the tab of said rear flap downwardly and passthrough the opening of said rear flap and then swing rearwardly tounderlie the outer portion of said rear flap adjacent its free edge.

2. A carton comprising in combination. opposite and adjacent front andrear and end walls, a pair of inner flaps hinged to the upper edges ofsaid end'walls for swinging inwardly into overlapping relation, a frontflap and a rear flap hinged to the upper edges of said front and rearwalls respectively for swinging inwardly into overlapping relation onsaid inner flaps and having outer free edges, said rear flap providedwith a longitudinal slit disposed inwardly from and parallel to its freeedge terminating inwardly from opposite edges thereof and with othertransverse from opposite ends of said slit towards the upper edge ofsaid rear wall and disposed in a diverging relation forming an openingand a tab having converging ends and hinged to said rear flap at an edgeof said opening and adjacent and parallel to the upper edge of said rearwall, and a tuck extending from the free edge of said front flap havingoutwardly diverging opposite ends and being substantially the same sizeand shape as the tab of said rear flap whereby as said front flapoverlies said rear flap said tuck overlies the tab thereof, said tuckbeing hinged to the free edge of said front flap whereby with said frontflap superposed on said rear flap said tuck may swing downwardly toswing the tab of said rear flap downwardly and pass through the openingof said rear flap and then swing rearwardly tounderlie the outer portionofsaid rear flap adjacent its free edge, the longitudinal slit of saidrear flap formed intermediate its ends to provide a projecting retaininglip on the outer free edge of the tab which is adapted to underlie andhold the said tuck as it underlies the outer portion of said rear flap.

3. A carton comprising in combination, opposite and adjacent front andrear and end walls, a pair of inner flaps hinged to the upper edges ofsaid end walls for swinging inwardly into overlapping relation. a frontflap and a rear flap hinged to the upper edges of said front and rearwalls respectively for swinging inwardly into overlapping relation onsaid inner flaps and having outer free edges, said rear flap providedwith a longitudinal slit disposed inwardly from and parallel to its freeedge terminating inwardly from opposite edges thereof and with othertransverse slits extending from opposite ends of said slit towards theupper edge of said rear wall and disposed in a diverging relationforming an opening and a tab having converging ends and hinged to saidrear flap at an edge of said opening and adjacent and parallel to theupper edge of said rear wall, and a tuck extending from the free edge ofsaid front flap having outwardly diverging opposite ends and beingsubstantially the same size and shape as the tab of said rear flapwhereby as said front flap overlies said rear flap said tuck overliesthe tab thereof, said tuck being hinged to the free edge of said frontflap whereby with said front flap superposed on said rear flap said tuckmay swing downwardly to swing the tab of said rear fiap downwardly andpass through the opening of said rear flap and then swing rearwardly tounderlie the outer portion of said rear flap adjacent its free edge, thelongitudinal slit of said rear flap formed intermediate its ends toprovide a projecting retaining lip on theouter free edge of the tabwhich is adapted to underlie and hold said tuck as it underlies theouter portion of said rear flap, and said tuck provided with score linesextending diagonally across outer opposite ends thereof providingrelatively swingable corners for said tuck to facilitate passtzge ofsaid tuck through the opening in said rear RUSSELL A. LAMBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the DEspositoMay 23, 1944

